Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2008. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-204).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2008. / Abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-204).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2008. / Abstract and vita. Description based on Print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-204).

Thesis (doctoral) -- Universität Bern, 1980. / Bibliography: p. 5-11.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2009. / Directed by Glenn Hudak; submitted to the Dept. of Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 10, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 173-185).

Inaug.-diss.--Erlangen. / Cover title. Vita.

Thesis (PhD(Psychology))-University of Pretoria, 2006. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Unethical behaviour is affecting societal behaviour and impacting business success. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is increasingly adopted across businesses and for personal use and insufficient attention is paid to the impact of unethical practices in the use of ICT on various stakeholders involved. ICT professionals are well positioned to provide guidance to ICT users and decision makers but they need help. While they have the knowledge and skills in ICT, they also need a sense of professional responsibility towards their stakeholders and a moral attitude to help them understand how unethical practices in ICT can affect others and the ability to make good decisions in the use of ICT. Ethics education has been shown to be effective for other professions and this research project builds and tests a model based on current good practices found to be effective in ethics education. More specifically, it adopts a Positive Psychology perspective, not previously used in ICT ethics education, looking at what is working well and examines the use of a Positive Psychology approach, namely Appreciative Inquiry (AI) which has been found elsewhere to be an effective method to motivate change. This research project tests the impact that an Appreciative Inquiry included in a computer ethics class has on the development of moral attitude. The project had a quasi-experiment design with a large sample of over 400 participants (undergraduate Information Technology Management students) using both a control and treatment group to determine the effect of AI on the changes in moral sensitivity and moral judgment of the participants. One well validated survey tool and one developed specifically for ICT, the Defining Issues Test 2 and the IMIS Survey, respectively, were used to test changes from the beginning to the end of each course. The study findings demonstrate that a well-developed ethics course, adopting good practices, produced significant changes in the moral attitudes of the participants. The adoption of AI in the treatment group produced significant changes in elements of the student’s moral judgment validated by both the pre-and post-analysis and instructor observations. Thus taking a Positive Psychology approach to ICT ethics is a useful innovation to ethics education. The project has also demonstrated that AI may have significant potential for ethical education across professions and business at large.

The purpose of this mixed-method study, combining a quantitative, quasi-experimental, and qualitative design was to examine a researcher-designed, piloted dropout intervention program that would address the factors that have contributed to African American, ninth-grade “at-risk” students. This phenomenon, also known as the “ninth grade shock” due to the rapid incline within the United States’ traditional public high school setting, has also been a direct connection to the low graduation rates listed for African American students in the state of Georgia. The researcher-designed, dropout intervention program, Cultural Check and Connect Sessions (CC&CS) was evaluated while developing and implementing strategies that will reverse the need for students to drop out while being promoted to the next grade level. The researcher examined the following variables: Student Perception, Attendance, Discipline, The Number of Failed Courses, and Support Staff Perception. Student data were gathered from the selected students (Group A) using student surveys, staff interviews, and the school’s database, Infinite Campus. Forty African-American students were also selected as a control group (Group B). Both groups of students met the following requirements before the start of the researcher-designed program: 2 or more failed courses on the previous progress report, 3 or more semesters behind from being promoted to the 10th grade, 10 or more unexcused absences, and 3 or more discipline referrals. When Group A was compared to Group B after the completion of the researcher-designed program, the results of the study revealed that the group was impacted by the researcher-designed, piloted dropout intervention program through the students’ perception of school, attendance, and discipline. This research investigation provides implications and recommendations for all schools educating African American, ninth- grade “at-risk” students in a traditional school learning environment.

abstract: A teacher's belief in what he or she can do is often a predictor for how well students may do in their classroom. Working together in a collaborative setting while looking at student work, determining next steps, and setting goals for student achievement can provide the impetus for teachers to change practices, implement different strategies and find success in the classroom. Collaborative practitioner inquiry focused in a single content such as written expression can bring about positive change for student achievement and teacher efficacy. In this study, a collaborative practitioner inquiry process was used to enhance teacher efficacy and increase student achievement in writing. This process was implemented school wide as an integral part of the school's instructional program. Teachers met once each month in Data Writing Team groups to look at student writing in their own classrooms and across their grade level. Based on the writing samples, teachers created SMART goals, determined levels of proficiency, and identified instructional strategies to implement. Data were collected through the administration of a teacher efficacy survey, focus group and individual interviews, student achievement data from pre- and post- writing samples, and observations and interpretations in a research journal. Findings concluded that collaborative practitioner inquiry contributed measurably to most Lake Shore Elementary School teachers' efficacy as teachers of writing especially by enhancing their convictions that they could teach writing and solve instructional roadblocks individually and collectively. In addition, collaborative practitioner inquiry contributed to substantial improvement in Lake Shore students' writing achievement. Teachers' accountability and purposes for instruction were enhanced through opportunities to work collaboratively together. Finally, collaborative practitioner inquiry contributed to students' writing achievement by adding to teachers' understanding of writing instruction and fostering continuously improved teaching practices. As a result of conducting this study, I learned that teachers who have the time to meet, talk, and think together form a greater focus as a grade level and, in turn, a purpose for what they do in the classroom. When teachers find success in their instruction their efficacy increases and as found during this study student achievement increases. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ed.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2011